Esztergom, Bazilika

In the 11th century Esztergom was the first royal seat and ecclesiastical centre of the country. Esztergom has the biggest Cathedral of Hungary, and it is the Primate of the Hungarian Catholic Church. The Archbishop of Esztergom, has his seat here. Esztergom is 66 km from Budapest.

Begun in 1822 by János Páckh and completed in 1856 by József Hild, the cathedral with its massive dimensions dominates the townscape of Esztergom.

The eastern entrance is highlighted by an antique-style portal flanked by towers, and the crossing is crowned by a dome in the style of the Italian Renaissance. A cool classical sobriety reigns in the marble-clad interior. The most significant parts of the cathedral, which remain from the preceding building, are the 16th-century tomb chapel for Archbishop Tamás Bakócz and the cathedral treasury, with its unusually rich collection of sacred art.